New Valassis Data: Modern Consumers Prefer Organics, Meal Kits and Local Stores When Grocery Shopping

LIVONIA, Mich., April 30, 2018: In a recent study, Valassis, a leader in activating consumers through intelligent media delivery, found that 33 percent of consumers make an effort to buy only (or mostly) organic and natural products. This percentage increases substantially among parents (48 percent) and millennials (50 percent), despite the often higher prices. Additionally, 10 percent of parents and 14 percent of millennial parents now have meal kits delivered to their homes once a week to help grapple with their increasingly busy schedules.

Retailers and e-commerce brands continue to innovate and advance the grocery landscape – as recently exemplified by Walmart expanding its grocery delivery service to reach 40 percent of U.S. households. This highlights the importance of understanding how consumers are responding to these changes, shifting their shopping habits and taking advantage of emerging online channels. Valassis’ data, derived from its 2K18 Coupon Intelligence Report, reveals how today’s dynamic consumer makes grocery purchases amid these industry shifts.

“Our Coupon Intelligence Report data reinforces that the path to purchase for grocery items is no longer a static and ritual journey. From home delivery services to the growing presence of organic items, emerging channels and trends are changing the way shoppers buy, and in turn, how brands reach and activate their target audiences,” said Curtis Tingle, CMO, Valassis. “Consumers are increasingly looking for convenience and unique shopping experiences, as well as deals and coupons. Brands and retailers that offer these dimensions of value on a consistent basis across a multitude of channels will ultimately see the greatest ROI.”

Additional takeaways from Valassis’ grocery findings include:

When shoppers are planning grocery trips, coupons are extremely influential:

The study was fielded in the third quarter of 2017 in conjunction with a global, third-party market research firm with proficiency in internet surveys. The sample was derived from an online consumer opinion panel, and all participants were at least 18 years of age and living in the contiguous United States. Consumers were emailed an invitation to participate in the survey and were given three days to complete it. The survey was closed once 1,000 completed responses had been reached. The responses were weighted by factors obtained from national census data to provide appropriate representations of demographic groups at summary levels.

About Valassis

Valassis helps thousands of local and national brands tap the potential of industry-leading data through intelligent media delivery – understanding, engaging and inspiring millions of consumers to action with smarter cross-channel campaigns. We’ve been a part of consumers’ lives for decades, introducing new ways to deliver offers and messages that activate them — whether via mail, digital, in-store or the newspaper. NCH Marketing Services, Inc. and Clipper Magazine are Valassis subsidiaries, and RetailMeNot Everyday™ is its consumer brand. Its signature Have You Seen Me?® program delivers hope to missing children and their families. Valassis and RetailMeNot are wholly owned subsidiaries of Harland Clarke Holdings.